Benefits of Artificial Casings Over Natural Casings

When it comes to the world of sausage making, the casing that one uses can have a dramatic impact not only on the final look of your sausage, but the texture, the length of shelf life, and how easy they are to work with. While purists may miss the natural casings of the animal intestines, the modern meat processing industry is leaning more and more to artificial sausage casing for practical reasons. With regards to hygiene, and also consistently, artificial casings provide such advantages that they are the preferred choice of both commercial producers and home butchers.

Uniformity and Consistency

The use of artificial sausage casing has the advantage of uniformity. Artificial casings are uniform in size and strength while natural casings can vary in thickness, diameter and strength. This homogeneity guarantees that every sausage looks and cooks alike, and that's of extra value in large-scale production and point of sale. Even cooking and portion control (a must in the foodservice industry) are other positive outcomes of uniform size.

Enhanced Hygiene and Safety

Artificial casings provide a higher degree of hygiene than natural casings. Because they are produced in controlled environments with food-grade materials, they are less likely to be contaminated by bacteria or other pathogens. This can be very critical in areas where there are tight food safety requirements.

They may be more time consuming to prepare because natural casings must be thoroughly cleaned and processed and there can be some risk of contamination if they are not handled correctly. Man made sausage casings allow producers to easily control the production process with a much smaller safety element.

More Convenient to Store and Last longer

Artificial casings also contain a longer shelf life than natural casings because they can be placed in a refrigerated storage up to a year before use. a lot of artificial casings are shelf-stable and can be stored and transported without refrigeration. This is particularly beneficial for large scale, or international, manufacturers.

Moreover, artificial casings are frequently sold precooked, meaning that because there is no soaking, rinsing, or preparation necessary to stuff them, there is more time for other household chores. This saves time and allows a more efficient process for large scale production.

Customization Options

Artificial sausage casing is available in multiple forms—collagen, cellulose, fibrous, even some with plastic casing—each of which provides certain properties that make it best for some sausages over others. The diameter, color, print, permeability of the casing can be customized. For example, skinless hot dogs are best with cellulose casings as the casing becomes loose and is easy to remove after cooking.

Print For a printed casing the presence of a logo or label is also highly attractive directly on the sausage, if natural casings were used this would not be possible so the sausage would have to be placed into a printed bag rather than use this method. This degree of customization allows the producer to have the final say in the marketability of the final product.

Improved Cost Efficiency

Artificial casings tend to be cheaper than natural casings. Artificial casings are more consistent in quality and size than natural casings, and are available is steady supply. Their durability also will reduce product loss during the stuffing process, as they are less likely to rip or tear. These benefits allow for more effective manufacturing and less waste.

Conclusion

While natural casings can be utilized in the authentic sausage making process, the advantages of artificial sausage casing—ranging from sanitation and shelf life to uniformity and size — make them an ideal option for today’s meat processing needs. Whether you're a professional sausage maker or just want to make homemade sausage from your kitchen, we have all of the artificial sausage casings you'll need for your unique creation.

This article represents is a guest opinion piece and doesn’t necessarily coincide with the positions of the company. For more information about our company’s stance, please get in touch with us directly.